A/N: The usual spiel, I don't own Tinkerbell or make anything from this, it's just a fic written by a fan for fans etc, etc. Now that's all done I'd just like to say that this is my first Tinkerbell fic. I've written other stories under different accounts in the past and co-written a number of others too, but this is officially the first for this account and the first fic I've actually written and uploaded in a LONG time. Hope I've done it justice and I'd be grateful if you could R&R and let me know what you think.

A trail of pixie dust shimmered and glittered as it fell in the wake of a spirited little fairy as she flew straight and true. Her sweet little face was set in determination; she had a new purpose or was it simply an old one she was resuming? She cared not only that after so long she was heading back to where she truly belonged and that this time, she was there to stay.

Time had taken her far and wide from the place she once called home for the longest time; she'd journeyed to the mainland many times with her young friend and far across Neverland and its neighbouring islands only flitting in briefly to top up her pixie dust. Terrence and the others had tried to convince her to stay, but she couldn't ignore the burning curiousity to know more about the mainland and all the strange and wonderful things to be found there or the desire to follow the brash and daring young boy who it had seemed would remain ageless and carefree for all time. Her frequent absences and the concern of her friends eventually drew the attention of Queen Clarion, who initially had cautioned against such activity, fairies and humans just simply weren't meant to be together, yet seeing the resolve and fiery spirit of the tempestuous tinker that regardless of her warning continued to defy her, she'd eventually given her leave to go, giving her the freedom to venture where she chose, which for the longest time had been at Peter's side.

Such thoughts weighed on her heart, which clenched with sweet sorrow at her recent parting, yet beat with excitement and an almost tangible relief. Her best friend Peter was now embarking on the biggest adventure of all, he'd decided to grow up. She knew from the very first time he met Wendy it was coming. How captivated he'd been by her and she'd been jealous seeing him lavish the attention on the young girl that until then had been reserved for her, but Wendy wove an enchantment of a different kind that lured him in and gave him ideas of other kinds of adventures, one's where she could not follow. She'd once thought they'd be together forever, but forever really is a very long time and Peter deserved to grow up, so reluctantly and tearfully they'd at last parted ways. She'd had many grand and admittedly dangerous adventures with the young boy, what her other fairy friends would have thought had they been in her place! Thoughts of them eased the pain burgeoning in her heart and a smile to light up her face. It had been so long since she'd seen them and momentarily she felt a stab of guilt, would they be happy to see her now? She shook her head to dispel the gloomy thoughts, of course they would, they'd be glad to see her safe and well and happier still to know she was returning to them for good. She thought of Faun's caring nature and gentle smile, of Silvermist's joyful giggle and Iredessa's concerned gaze and friendly hug. Still more she thought of Rosetta's charm and wit and Vidia's likely dismissive yet equally welcoming greeting.

Her thoughts led her to think of her other friends, those who'd probably taken her parting harder than the others. She thought of Terrence and his sweet face as he'd pleaded with her not to go, the anger at her stubborness and the blank acceptance, almost indifference she later recieved from him on her trips to collect her dust. Once was the time he would always have been there to give her the dust she needed, but not now, now he deferred that duty to one of the other dust-keeper fairies, she couldn't describe the pain that had caused her back then, even Peter had noticed her mopey and depressed state. She only hoped with time she could regain the friendship they both held dear so long ago.

Her thoughts turned then to that which she'd longed for and missed most of all, in all her wanderings she'd suprisingly had very little need to use the skills she was so adept at and now the mere thought sent a tingling in her fingers and an almost burning desire to craft and create as she once did. Her mind cast her back into the familar and comforting environment of the tinker's workshop and her first true and steadfast friends. It was with fond rememberance that she thought of Clank, the boisterous and loud, but inventive tinker; she could always count on him to be there if she needed him. Her mind then moved on to consider the last of her close knit group of friends, Bobble. Dear, sweet Bobble, such a clever and creative tinker and a real gentleman. Throughout all her travels and troubles he'd always been there to lend an ear and offer her soothing words and sound advice, even as her visits became more sporadic and interspersed as time went on. She really had been such a terrible friend going gallavanting off and leaving them all, making them worry about her as she ventured off alone, or rather worse in pursuit of a human, who many surmised would end in disaster, or so Vidia had vehemently said so, each and every time she'd flown off.

As quiet as a mouse and as gentle as a summer breeze she flittered past old and familiar landmarks. In the embracing darkness of night, all was still and silent as fairies and animals alike lay asleep in their beds. Still, she eagerly pressed on past through the Autumn Woods, Tinkers Nook was not far now and even at this time there was sure to be someone about. Lost in their work, tinkers could easily forget the time, wrapped up in the excitement or frustrations of their latest creation.

Breaking through the treeline she began to slow as gracefully she fluttered to the ground, the dust and beat of her delicate wings rustling in the breeze like the tinkling of little bells. The familiar surroundings lay bathed in starlight, yet all was dark and quiet, save for the dim glow under the door to the workshop. A happy smile once again lit up her features as she hurried over, gently opening the door. Though for all her efforts in the stillness of the night the door seemed to groan particularly loudly as she entered, making her wince slightly, whoever was inside would surely know she was there now! Tip-toeing quietly she ventured further listening intently for clues as to who lay within. Then like music to her ears she distinguished the animated and fervent mutterings in such a distinct accent that could only belong to her dear Bobble. Despite her rather loud entrance he appeared not to have heard her and was still deeply engrossed in his work with leaf parchments strewn across his workbench and the clinking and chinking of various items as he peered intently at some presently unknown contraption. Feeling decidedly mischievous she crept quietly behind him to peer over his shoulder as gently her hand came to rest upon the other as she exclaimed excitedly, "Hello Bobble, what are you working on?"

Her voice rang clear and loud in the quiet of the workshop and startled the poor sparrowman dreadfully as his head whipped round to see the beautiful fairy laughing beside him. His eyes wide and his heart beating wildly in his chest, his hand clutching the leaf shirt over it in some vain attempt to calm it; he took the chance to see who had disturbed him. On recognising the sweet and beautiful face a smile broke out onto his own.

"Why, hello Miss Bell, it's good to see you again" he exclaimed in equal excitement.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again too, Bobble" said Tinkerbell pulling her friend into a tight embrace.

Momentarily stunned, he stood there as she hugged him fiercly before he gently lifted his arms to surround her, holding her too him. They had shared quick embraces in the past or he'd wrapped an arm about her in a comforting gesture, but never had she embraced him as strongly as she did now. She held him tightly, her head resting on his shoulder as her tinkling laughter reverberated through him.

A gentle smile softened his features from the grin he'd had before as he simply enjoyed the moment that seemed to end all too soon. Lingering longer than necessary she had eventually pulled back and he let her go, though they remained standing close.

Tinkerbell peered up at him, her cornflower blue eyes shining with laughter and affection as she took in his visage. His unruly chestnut hair stuck out in the fashion it always had from her very first meeting and secretly she longed to know if it was as soft as it looked, would it feel like the silken strands of her own hair? Dismissing these errant thoughts her eyes sought out his, magnified by his dewdrop goggles, one of his more endearing features.

"I've missed all of you, so much" Tinkerbell explained, emotion creeping into her voice and choking her.

"Aye," replied Bobble. "We've missed you too Tink" he said, before enquiring, "How long will you be staying for this time?"

He noticed the difference in his good friend the instant his innocent question was voiced, where she had seemed so bright and happy just a moment ago, now she seemed tinged with sadness. Her wings drooped and her eyes filled with tears; that she seemed stubbornly intent on disallowing to fall as they gazed up into his own.

"Tink?" he asked uncertainly as his hand reached out to brush away an errant tear that despite her best attempts had overflown and coursed down her cheek.

Such a simple, soothing action seemed to break the dam she'd been holding back since her parting with Peter as she felt herself swept once more into the strong and comforting embrace of her good friend. Clutching his shirt tightly in her hands she sobbed hard into his shoulder as haltingly she explained how Peter and her had gone their seperate ways and how she would be staying for good from now on. Throughout it all Bobble had held her, uncertain what else to do in the onslaught of her tears. Crying females weren't something he had a lot of experience with, but Tink was his friend so he'd do what he could.

After a time he'd slowly raised a hand , rubbing her back in a soothing motion when she hiccuped seemingly out of tears to cry, the action seemed to calm her, so feeling emboldened by such a reaction he continued. After a while she quieted in his arms, her head now rested on his shoulder turned towards him as her tears dried upon her cheeks. Feeling slightly bad about such a reaction and how her return had come to be she went on to explain, "It's not that I don't love you guys and being here, but there was always so much to explore and to do on the mainland. I never really thought that Peter and I would ever be apart, but I guess nothing is certain"

Nodding vaguely in agreement Bobble answered, "New beginnings can be found where you least expect them to sometimes"

Slackening her grip on his shirt she left her hand resting on his chest as she looked imploringly up at him unsure what to do with the turn of events in her life.

"What should I do now?" she asked, seemingly at a loss.

"I expect the girls will be wanting to see you" Bobble said, causing Tink to smile at the prospect of seeing her old friends again.

"And Fairy Mary and Queen Clarion will want to see you as well" he added almost as an after thought, causing Tink to let out a nervous laugh at the thought of how THAT meeting would go. While she was sure they would both be happy to see her, she could already imagine the concerned and stern words of the Tinker overseer who'd always looked out for her.

The soft glow of the lanterns flickered briefly in the still quiet of the worshop. Silence reigned once more and she started to feel herself getting drowsy. It had been a long flight back and she was in need of rest, the purging of her pent up emotions had left her feeling drained and tired, but cleansed. Maybe now she could face the future a little happier and embrace the life she'd always had here fully. It was a nice prospect to contemplate, after all her time away and feeling the leafy texture of her friend's shirt beneath her fingers she idlely thought it would be nice to be closer to her friends too and who knew what and where the future may lead her? She'd been content and happy here once before, then she'd ventured off after a young human boy, living the life many fairies would not dare, yet that boy had found love and perhaps in time she might too? While she'd loved Peter in her own way, Wendy would show him a love she could never hope too and who knew, with all her time apart from the hollow, their were sure to be plenty of new fairies that had arrived, she'd just have to see what came along. Still, right now in the warm embrace of Bobble's arms it was hard to think of any other she could want right then and such thoughts were giving her a headache, she didn't want to ponder on what if's and maybe's for too long, in the long run it never really helped. These thoughts in mind, she resolved that she really should be heading to bed.

"It's getting late" Tink said as she sighed, unwilling to release her hold on her good friend just yet.

"Yes, it is" Bobble murmured in reply, also seemingly unwilling to release his hold on the petite young fairy in his arms.

She shifted a little in his embrace, raising her head from its perch on his shoulder before saying, "Well, goodnight Bobble" before rising up onto her tiptoes intent on kissing his cheek in parting.

"Goodnight, T-..." he started as he turned to face her before his lips met hers, freezing both of them in shock as they stared wide eyed. His goggles popped instantly yet still neither moved.

Hearts pounding, they gently broke apart a blush rising and staining both their cheeks as they stared intently at one another, their breathing coming in short and erratic bursts. Her hands resting against his chest she could easily push him away if she wanted, yet she found her herself unwilling to as her eyes flickered once more to those soft lips that had been on hers only a moment ago before looking back into his eyes.

Slowly she felt his hand draw up to caress her cheek before coming to gently cup her face, his own eyes briefly flickering down to her own lips before he hesitantly drew nearer, their noses almost touching. Her heart beating wildly in nervous anticipation she tilted her head, eyes closing as she brought their lips together once again.

They kissed once, twice, in quick succession, nothing more than a brief touching of lips on lips before they came together again, this time applying more pressure. She'd never been kissed before now, but she liked it, the feel of his soft lips against hers, the delicious trembles he envoked that spread throughout her body, the feeling of being the only one that mattered to him, if only for a moment, it was intoxicating, as finally she wove her hands into the thick strands of his hair that she'd been longing to touch. She felt him smile into the kiss as she twined her fingers gently through the strands and felt a smile of her own tugging her lips as she felt his hand move to cradle the back of her head, pulling her closer, increasing the intensity as his own hand wove through her own silken tresses. The clinking sound of pots and various other things had them breaking apart, breathless as they stared at each other in wonder. This was certainly a new step in their relationship, nothing like this had ever happened to them before, yet even though they jumped apart at the sound, they remained close enough that he could feel her fingers intertwine with his and squeeze his hand as she smiled up at him. He smiled back, before together they dropped their joined hands as Clank came barrelling in with a cart load of supplies.

Tinkerbell let out an excited laugh and flittered over to greet her longtime friend who swept her up into his arms, leaving her dangling from the floor as he squeezed her tightly before gently putting her down. Her laughter once more filled the workshop as she patted his arm, a bright smile lighting her face as she turned to look over her shoulder at Bobble, whose dewdrops once again filled his goggles.

Bading them both goodnight she flittered to the entrance to the workshop intent on making her way home, when she paused in the doorway. She could hear Clank rummaging through the cart, talking animatedly about what he could do with one thing or another, when she turned. Her eyes met Bobble's instantly, he'd moved to stand beside Clank now, but he'd oviously wanted to see her too. Once again she let a small smile grace her face as she gently waved at him before slipping into the night, noticing his answering smile in return. He'd seemed torn on whether to follow her or not, yet with Clank there he seemed hesitant to follow. She was sure they'd need to discuss this, thing, between them sometime soon and it was with growing excitement that she looked forward to it. Perhaps she and Bobble could start a new beginning of their own, certainly stranger things had happened.

The End.

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